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in 1878 until the commencement of the present month, has been
15,171, of whom 11,412 were vaccinated and 3759 unvaccinated;
and it is believed that for each case treated in the Board's
Hospitals, another was privately attended—hence some idea may
be formed of the magnitude of the epidemic.
The total number of deaths which occurred in the Hospitals
during the period under consideration was 2677. Of these 1008
were vaccinated and 1669 were unvaccinated cases.
The per centago mortality upon the whole of the admissions
was therefore 17.6, being at the rate of 8.8 per cent. of the
vaccinated and no less than 44.4 per cent. of the unvaccinated.
It may be observed that, among the 11,412 vaccinated
patients admitted, are included the majority of those who stated
that they had been vaccinated, but upon whom no traces of
vaccination were discernable
No case of Small-pox has come within the cognizance of
either of the Medical Superintendents of any person who had
been efficiently vaccinated and successfully re-vaccinated.
The nurses and servants employed from time to time at the
various Hospitals during the Epidemic, have enjoyed almost
absolute immunity from infection; and the few—some half dozen
amongst nearly one thousand—who contracted the disease whilst
discharging their duties, had, from some cause or other, escaped
re-vaccination before entering the Wards.
Experience has therefore irrefutably proved that, were vaccination
efficiently performed in infancy, within the period prescribed
by the "Vaccination Act," and re-vaccination successfully
accomplished at puberty, Small-pox, instead of being, as it is at
present, a common and extremely fatal disease, would bo a
comparatively rare one and so little fatal that few, if any, deaths
would result from it.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
W. P. JEBB,
Clerk.
To M. Corner, Esq., M.D.,
Medical Officer of Health,
Hamlet of Mile, End Old Town.